23 July 2015

I don't know why I'm endlessly fascinated with colonial Kenya and the
people who left Europe to start a new life there in the early 1900s. My
interest has been given a boost by this month's release of a novel
about Beryl Markham, who chalked up several "first woman to"
accomplishments in her life. Whether you find the actions, attitudes,
and lifestyle of the British ex-pats and the Happy Valley set
horrifying, fascinating, or cringe-worthy, here are a dozen ways to
transport yourself to the Africa of a century ago.

Beryl Markham

Beryl Markham grew up in colonial Kenya, earning a reputation as an excellent horse trainer and as an accomplished pilot. Circling the Sun by Paula McLain (Ballantine, 2015) is a well-researched don't-miss account of Markham's life. As I wrote for Readerly,
"Told from Markham’s perspective, the novel resembles a well-crafted
memoir, taking readers on a roller-coaster adventure of incredible
successes and deep sorrows." For Beryl Markham's story in her own words, pick up West with the Night
(North Point Press, 2013). This autobiography is a very readable
account of her African childhood and how she came to be the first woman
to fly solo west across the Atlantic Ocean. Nonfiction fans might be
more drawn to Mary S. Lovell's Straight on Till Morning (Norton, 2011), which has been proclaimed Markham's "definitive biography."

Karen Blixen & Elspeth Huxley

Most people have heard of Karen Blixen from the movie named after her memoir Out of Africa
(Penguin, 2011). Although the movie has a strong focus on Blixen's
romantic relationships, the author wrote about her love of the country
and its people, her thoughts on white colonialism, and her struggles to
make her coffee farm at "the foot of the Ngong Hills" a success. Elspeth Huxley grew up in Kenya on her family's coffee plantation. Among her memoirs are The Flame Trees of Thika
(Penguin 2000), which focuses on her childhood and the difficulties
British expats had in adjusting to the rigors of Africa, and Out in the Midday Sun
(Vintage Digital, 2011), which is set in the years between the wars and
includes her experiences as a young adult, returning to Africa after
college.

The Happy Valley Crowd

Even
if you're not familiar with the names of the British expats who lived
in Kenya a hundred years ago, you may have heard stories of the
bohemian, jazz-age lifestyle of the Happy Valley set. These are the men
and woman known for their lavish parties, heavy drinking, and liberal
attitudes about sex. One of the more recent entries in the colonial
Kenya canon is Juliet Barnes's The Ghosts of Happy Valley
(Aurum, 2013). Part travel memoir, part archaeology, and part social
commentary, this is the story of Barnes's journey to find the remaining
traces of the people who gave Kenya its scandalous reputation. The Bolter by Frances Osborne
(Knopf, 2009) shines the spotlight on Idina Sackville, one of the
free-loving ringleaders of the Happy Valley crowd. Relying on letters,
diaries, and family stories, Osborne gives us an unvarnished look in to
the world of her great-grandmother. In Child of Happy Valley, Juanita Carberry
(Random House, 1999) gives us a darker view of life in colonial Kenya.
As the adults played, their children were largely ignored, all the while
bearing witness to their parents' behavior.

Colonial Days on the Screen

If you need a visual introduction to the Happy Valley lifestyle, you should start with White Mischief
(1987), which is all about the infamous murder of the earl of Errol.
The investigation of this case showed the world the intimate details of
Happy Valley socializing. Many of the major players are portrayed in
this film, including a young Juanita Carberry. Do I even need to tell
you about Out of Africa (1985)? This film shows colonial
Kenya from the eyes of author Karen Blixen. Beryl Markham's character is
given the name Felicity in the movie. Huxley's memoir The Flame Trees of Thika
(1981) was made into a 7-part miniseries and depicts the author's
childhood experiences up to about World War I. The scenery alone is
worth watching.

Of
course many more books, movies, and television shows are available for
those of us who are interested in Kenya in the early 20th century. Do
you have any favorites?

I've never seen the movie Out of Africa, but I read the book years ago and MAN that was eye-opening and wonderful. There's a bias to it, of course, but even with that, it taught me more than I could have imagined and I still catch myself thinking about it from time to time.

I'm planning on reading Circling The Sun. I read West With The Night years and years ago and remember loving it. And I don't even like non-fiction all that much. And, of course, Out Of Africa. Can't you just hear Merryl Streep's voice saying, 'I had a farm in Africa...'. LOL

If you like mysteries, M.B. Kahn sets some great page turners in colonial Kenya. She lived in Africa for much of her life. My favorite so far is Death in Kenya. http://miathereader.com/review-m-m-kayes-death-kenya/ Hope you like it, too!

Ooh - I love this post! I recently finished Circling the Sun and loved it! Beryl was one badass lady! And - I've heard great things about her memoir. And - I didn't realize while I was reading Sun that Karen Blixen was the author of Out of Africa...I figured it out right after I finished and now want to read that one too! Definitely a fascinating crowd....

I think I find the Happy Valley set horrifying, fascinating, AND cringe-worthy. It certainly has made for some superb books. I'm really looking forward to reading Circling the Sun, having read both the Lovell book and Markham's memoir. I'm so glad to see you mention The Ghosts of Happy Valley, a truly fascinating book.

I will have to read some more of these. I read " The Flame Trees of Thika" earlier this year, and it is the best book of the year so far. I hadn't realised how hard life must have been for the early colonial women, it is very like the early settlers of the Wild West.

Thanks for stopping by. I read all comments and may respond here, via e-mail, or on your blog. I visit everyone who comments, but not necessarily right away.

I cannot turn off word verification, but if you are logged into Blogger you can ignore the captcha. I have set posts older than 14 days to be on moderation. I can no longer accept anonymous comments. I'm so sorry if this means you have to register or if you have trouble commenting.

Advertise

Ask me about advertising.

About Me

I'm a freelance book editor, reviewer, and journalist blogging as Beth Fish. On these pages, you'll find book reviews, book features, and other bookish content. I like to spotlight my favorite imprints and I'm a long-time audiobook lover. (I was the Audio Publishers Association's 2016 Audiobook Blogger of the Year!) Each Saturday I host my popular Weekend Cooking feature. Don't forget to look for my weekly photograph. You can find me on social media as @BethFishReads. Publicists, publishers, authors: please see my review policy. NB: I did not work on any book mentioned on this site.

Freelance

Copyright Issues

All photos (including the banner; Brugge 2008) and text (unless otherwise noted) are my own work and are copyrighted under my legal initials. Please read "Copyright issues" in my Review Policy for more on the legal use of my material.Creative Commons Attribution